Happy Birthday, Norman Borlaug!

March 26, 2014

Today, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center will celebrate what would have been Dr. Norman E. Borlaug’s 100th birthday with the Borlaug Summit on Wheat for Food Security, which brings together wheat scientists, policymakers, and donor agencies to reflect on the successes of the Green Revolution; the new challenges we are facing in terms of wheat production, environmental sustainability, and food security; and the innovations and partnerships we are going to need to meet those challenges. At the Summit, CIMMYT and Biology Fortified will debut a brand new music video produced by John Boswell of Melodysheep featuring Norman Borlaug and some of his signature phrases, fiery outlook, and passion for using science to make the world a less hungry place.
The music video combines archival footage of Dr. Borlaug and an inspiring soundtrack to highlight his tireless fight to bring new, useful technologies to farmers. The problems that motivated Dr. Borlaug are still relevant today, and the music video highlights these issues while showing how people can work toward solving them. Boswell, who produced the popular Symphony of Science music video series, transforms the spoken words of famous scientists into music.

The Borlaug Summit on Wheat for Food Security honors the 100th anniversary of the birth and the legacy of Dr. Norman Borlaug, a legendary CIMMYT scientist who developed high-yielding, semi-dwarf wheat that is credited with saving over 1 billion people from starvation. The Summit will look back at Borlaug’s legacy as the father of the Green Revolution, which sparked key advances in food production. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 in recognition of his contributions to world peace through an increased food supply. Borlaug’s wheat varieties were grown in Mexico, Turkey, India and Pakistan, boosting harvests in those countries, avoiding famine in South Asia and sparking widespread adoption of improved crop varieties and farming practices.
In celebration of Dr. Borlaug’s centennial, throughout the year Biology Fortified will produce content – interviews, articles, blog posts, and other interactive features – about wheat and its importance around the world. Biology Fortified will aim to educate about the history and biology of the crop, and spark discussions of critical issues in its future. They will also include videos about how wheat is used in cuisines throughout the world, with recipes that people can try at home.
To view the video, visit www.biofortified.org & http://bit.ly/BorlaugSong (direct YouTube link)
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For more information on the Borlaug Summit on Wheat for Food Security, visit www.borlaug100.org.